Michael UpdikeNewbury, MA

Michael Updike is a sculptor who creates slate carvings and memorials in marble, slate and granite. “I originally started working on slate art as a way to practice my carving skills on a $2.00 piece of slate shingle rather than testing my learning curve on a $1,000 piece of slate cut to be a tombstone,” says Updike. “On the old slate, I enjoyed the contrast of the fresh stone carving against the patina. The history of the slate was evident in its wear. I picked up a couple pieces of slate shingles at a yard sale. After that I visited a rock salvage yard and in the back they had a palette of mostly black slate shingles. Mixed in were some green which give me greater contrast.” “The three-piece Flounder is a celebration of the small unit or 'canvas' that a slate roof shingle provides,” says the artist. “I decided to depict a larger image of the flounder in three panels. I view them as syllables of a word, or words of a sentence, with the parts making the whole.” “For the most part, slate is a neutral color with a matte finish. It can be polished but it looks strained when done so. Marble and granite are transformed to reflect and glow when polished, but it is slate's subtlety of color, variation and absorption of, rather than reflection of light that gives it its power. When working with slate I love that it will hold sharp edges and clear clean lines.” # # # # #